Heres another tip: Unless you're mixing epoxy, multiple colors together, or theres sludge on the bottom of the can, Theres no need to use a drill attachment. Unless, you know, it makes you feel manly to use a power tool, or want an extra thing to clean.

 

The store I go to has these sticks that work pretty good..... I always steal some....never been caught.

 

stir sticks come in handy for a lot of things :wink2:

 

Stir sticks would be better if I could get them by the case. Usually I have to ask for them and if even then I only get a few at a time. I usually use wood shims. If you pick out one that doesn't have a big knot in the middle, it does the trick. I always have lots of those.

I always keep a few yard sticks around as well. They are like a dollar each. I consider them disposable. I cut those up and use them as shims and paint stirrers and such. Sometimes I even use them for measuring.

Last thing I want is another tool to clean. But thanks for the tip!

 

Mark and Math....

They sure do. I repaired a louver door that the dog had eaten some of the slats out (with just a little sanding and paint...fit perfect).

Great for shims..... (Also as a tip to friends, don't tell too many people or they'll catch on.)... formica samples are a great shim.

 

They are also the right thickness to replace the routed out hinge when removing a door and leaving a cased opening. It did work easier back when the hinges were all square.

 

They work great to replace the wallowed out wood, where a door latch, has became loose, and ripped the facing out.

A little utility knife magic, and the stick fits right inside the facing, and you can redrill for the latch, and screw it back in.

Of course you have to be gentler closing the door now, but it will work .

Speaking of Yardsticks, when I was a kid, the local lumber yard gave them away, I had lots of them.

ED

 

Speaking of Yardsticks, when I was a kid, the local lumber yard gave them away, I had lots of them

I still have a few, only they are 4' long :smile:

 

Hell, I've had the same stir sticks for years. You dont HAVE to throw them away every time you use them, you know....

 

Have to admit, never power mixed anything less than 5 gal pails. But when I do, if possible, I keep a extra pail near by with water in it. After mixing the paint, mud, driveway sealer or whatever, put the mixer in the water pail and mix it. It does a fair job of cleaning your mixer.
And another way to keep your mat'l in the pail, is to run the drill in reverse. Doing this drives the mat'l down toward the bottom in lieu of spinning it up and over the top.

 

Some good tips in this thread. Heck, I'm so old that I remember when paint paddles were made of metal. My local hardware store still has a precious few and I get one every couple of years for old times sake. I don't power mix much either because the downside is that a good bit of paint can be wasted stuck to the mixing tool and I hate the time spent trying to get all the paint off the mixer and back into the can. I like your tip, JLawrence. It's a good one.

 

I had forgotten about those metal stir sticks .... thanks for the trip down memory lane!